ingredient
Americannoun
-
something that enters as an element into a mixture.
Flour, eggs, and sugar are the main ingredients in the cake.
-
a constituent element of anything; component.
the ingredients of political success.
noun
Synonym Usage
See element.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of ingredient
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English from Latin ingredient- (stem of ingrediēns ), present participle of ingredī “to go or step into, commence,” equivalent to in- in- 2 + -gredient- “going”; see gradient
Explanation
An ingredient is one part of a mixture. For example, if you're making chocolate chip cookies, flour is just one ingredient you'll need. Ingredient comes from the Latin word ingredientem, meaning "that which enters into." It's not just for cookies. If you're in the lab mixing a chemical compound, you carefully add one ingredient after the next and record the results (and hope nothing blows up). It's also an element or factor of something, such as how that song you wrote has all the ingredients to be a sure-fire hit! Remember that it ends in -ent, since often what you Eat has ingrediEnts.
Vocabulary lists containing ingredient
Selection Vocabulary 1, Unit 1
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National Cookie Day
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Acetaminophen is the primary active ingredient in over-the-counter medications including Tylenol.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
For example, gold palladium catalysts are used to produce vinyl acetate, an essential ingredient in many plastics and other products.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
In my house, focaccia is almost a catch-all format for any ingredient I’m craving or trying to get rid of.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
It contains the same ingredient - semaglutide - as the Wegovy weight loss injections but is still advised to be used alongside a healthy diet and increased physical activity.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
Can you think of a unique ingredient that would be good in a cupcake?
From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks
Grigoryan said he sees its ingredients and quality as comparable to those used in his brisket basturma.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Scientists believe those deposits could include "prebiotic organic molecules," chemical ingredients that may have eventually combined to form the first building blocks of life, including DNA.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026
The ingredients would then be shipped by air or sea to Mexico, according to Enrique.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Some Michigan Taco Bell locations, for example, are taking no chances and stopped offering cilantro, pico de gallo, guacamole and other fresh ingredients in their food.
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
Mom and Dad helped with each of the steps—creaming the butter and sugar together, adding the flour and cereal milk and other ingredients.
From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
